Robin Hood and his men took money from rich people and gave it to poor people. The Sheriff of Nottingham wanted to catch Robin Hood and his men. But it was very difficult to do so. Robin Hood often went to Nottingham, and he was always dressed in different clothes, and the Sheriff's men did not know him.
One day Robin Hood met a butcher in the forest. The butcher was going to Nottingham market. He wanted to sell some meat there.
“What have you in your bags?” asked Robin Hood.
“Some meat which I want to sell in Nottingham,” answered the butcher.
“I want to be a butcher and go to Nottingham,” said Robin Hood. “I shall buy your meat and your horse too.” So the butcher sold his horse and all the meat to Robin Hood. Then Robin changed clothes with the butcher and went to Nottingham market. He sold the meat very cheap and the other butchers were angry with him.
“Where does that man buy cattle so cheap?” they asked each other. “We must ask him.”
So the butchers asked Robin Hood to a dinner with the Sheriff of Nottingham. On the way there, one of the butchers asked Robin Hood many questions, but he learnt nothing.
At dinner the Sheriff wanted to know where the new butcher bought his cattle so cheap. The Sheriff wanted to buy some cheap cattle too.
“Come with me and I shall show you the cattle in the field,” said Robin Hood. Then he said he could sell the Sheriff some of the cattle.
The next morning the Sheriff put a lot of money into his bag. Then he got on a horse and went with Robin Hood to see the cattle. When they were near Sherwood Forest, the Sheriff was frightened and wanted to go back to town. Robin Hood laughed and asked him to come and have dinner with his friends.
Robin Hood always asked men who took money from poor people to dinner. He gave those men a very good dinner and then he made them pay very much for it. Robin Hood gave this money to the poor people. So the Sheriff understood that he was in the hands of Robin Hood.
After dinner, Robin Hood asked the Sheriff to pay for the dinner.
“I am a poor man,” said the Sheriff. “I have no money.”
“No money! What have you in your bag there?” asked Robin Hood.
“Only stones, nothing but stones,” answered the Sheriff.
Robin's men opened the bag and put the money on the ground.
“Sheriff,” said Robin Hood. “I shall take this money and give it to the poor people. You have taken more money than this from them.”
Then Robin told his men to bring the Sheriff's horse. The Sheriff got on it. Robin Hood took him to the road and said good-bye to him. So the Sheriff paid very much for his dinner with Robin Hood.
